


hot summer nights, mid-july

by screaminghalfpastmidnight



Category: The Society (TV 2019)
Genre: Lawyer!Harry, a lana song title, basically hallie falling in love throughout a few months, because i will never think of him as anything else, everyones here pretty much, hallie but in the summertime!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:40:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25234807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/screaminghalfpastmidnight/pseuds/screaminghalfpastmidnight
Summary: She sees Harry again at Elle’s birthday while she’s refilling her plastic cup and he’s trying to sneak a lollipop for Eden. “Didn’t think you’d show up.” He says and while the statement actually makes her a little pissed, she doesn’t really know what to say. He’s gone within seconds, leaning over Eden in the living room and whipping the lollipop out from behind his back, grinning as she bounces in her seat, grabbing for it. She thinks their interaction was much too like something that would occur between him and her sister and desperately tries to get the thought out of her head. She doesn’t want to be a clone of Cassandra to Harry.She’s struck by the realization that she wants to be anything to him at all.ORharry and allie and how they fall in love in their mid-twenties, surrounded by the people they love
Relationships: Harry Bingham/Allie Pressman
Comments: 10
Kudos: 80





	hot summer nights, mid-july

**Author's Note:**

> title from "Young & Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey
> 
> this took me SO LONG to write and i honestly almost gave up on it but there is just something about hallie in the summertime that gets me so i pushed through and im honestly real proud of it sooo
> 
> there's a moodboard on my tumblr page, if you go into the tag #my fics on @screaminghalfpastmidnight

When Allie first saw Harry again, five years after they’d been in high school together, she didn’t expect anything to come out of it. Grizz had gone to the same uni that he did and the two had gotten close and so when it was time for Grizz and Sam to tie the knot, he was there and so was she. Obviously, so was Cassandra and after she’d heard enough of his lighthearted and half-assed flirting, she pulled Allie off to the side and made her promise not to get involved with Harry Bingham. Truthfully, it pissed her off a little that Cassandra was trying to _forbid_ her from going out with someone, but she knew they hated each other in high school and Harry’s flirting didn’t actually mean anything, so she agreed.

He asked her to dance, she said “It’s probably better in the long run if we don’t.” and he’d smiled his shiny teeth at her, shrugged and stole her drink straight out of her hand, walking off to chat with Kelly, who Allie remembers from when they dated in high school. She doesn’t let herself think too much about what type of relationship they might’ve had or what happened to them, or even why they seem to be better friends than partners because really, it doesn’t matter.

The next time she sees him, it’s seven months later and Grizz has been in an accident.

The waiting room is filled to the brim with people she knows, all bouncing their knees and picking at their nails, worrying in hushed tones. She doesn’t expect Harry to show up; he wasn’t there when she arrived and for some reason, she’s having a hard time believing him to be soft and kind and everything that Grizz had told her he was a few weeks after the wedding (not that she’d asked… it just came up in passing). She’s sitting beside Becca, their hands clasped together with Sam on her other side beside Elle. Luke and Helena are cuddled tightly together on the lame excuse for a two-seater and Cassandra’s off on a humanitarian mission in Latin America and probably doesn’t even know that something’s wrong. Allie decides there’s no point in trying to call her; at least not until they know something. Harry walks in with Kelly, who’d been at the vending machine in the hallway, grabbing some food for those who needed it. Sam rises immediately and the hug they share provokes a feeling of guilt in Allie. 

She can’t help but wonder how she’d been so busy that she missed Harry becoming an integral part in all of her friends’ lives. She knows she doesn’t come around as much as she should. She tells herself it’s under the guise of being tired from work and busy with errands but she’s really just having a hard time being around her friends while they’re so happy, as selfish as it is. She also wonders when Harry learned sign language, although she supposes she needs to stop pretending she knows anything about him, especially since she’s basing this so-called knowledge off of his seventeen-year-old self, and she’d hate if he did that to her. 

He says hello to everyone there warmly, as if they’re family and Allie knows she should be focusing more on the fact that her cousin-in-law is in surgery, but she’s just so wonderstruck over Harry being someone that the people she cares about _loves_ that all she can do is send him a weak smile when he mumbles politely, “Hey, Allie.”

He sits with Kelly and lets her bury her face in the crook of his neck and Becca doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by it, even though Allie’s sure she and Kelly are halfway there to becoming a _thing_. He’s not the last to show up and even though she knows Will and Harry had never gotten along, the handshake they share is meaningful, as if equally sharing condolences and understanding each other’s pain. It’s at this point that Allie’s certain that this is her fault. She can show up at the hospital when Grizz is on the brink of death but not to Will’s birthday or to Luke and Helena’s anniversary party or to Becca’s Halloween bash. She has to do better.

When Gwen shows up and places Eden in Harry’s arms as if it’s a second nature thing, Allie has to excuse herself. On any other day, this would be dramatic but the thought of losing Grizz is so overwhelming that thinking about how much of a shit friend she’s been has her leaning over the toilet heaving. She doesn’t stay away for long, despite the pit in her stomach and when she returns to her seat, she squeezes Becca’s hand tighter than before, intent on not letting go until absolutely necessary. Gordie shows up with clothes for Sam, assuming he’s staying overnight and once a doctor comes out to give them an update, Sam tells them they should get as much rest as possible. 

They’re added to a Whatsapp called _Updates_ and she awakes the next morning to the news that the surgery went fine and the doctor’s are optimistic that he’ll be on his feet within the month. She expects there to be some big ‘welcome home’ bash once he’s allowed out, but there isn’t. She puts in the effort to come around more and she knows Sam’s fussing over Grizz doing too much or too little, so she goes over and cleans for them, cooks them dinner every once in a while. She goes to see Eden more too, so that Becca can work on her relationship with Kelly, which seems to be moving in a more than pleasant direction.

She sees Harry again at Elle’s birthday while she’s refilling her plastic cup and he’s trying to sneak a lollipop for Eden. “Didn’t think you’d show up.” He says and while the statement actually makes her a little pissed, she doesn’t really know what to say. He’s gone within seconds, leaning over Eden in the living room and whipping the lollipop out from behind his back, grinning as she bounces in her seat, grabbing for it. She thinks their interaction was much too like something that would occur between him and her sister and desperately tries to get the thought out of her head. She doesn’t want to be a clone of Cassandra to Harry.

She’s struck by the realization that she wants to be anything to him at all.

She sticks around a little longer than everyone else, opting to help clean up the mess Eden had made and pack up some of the leftovers. She watches him kiss Elle on the cheek and ruffle her hair, the way she’d seen him do once in ninth grade with his little sister, and accidentally catches his eye as he nuzzles Eden into his arms, saying goodbye. All he does is tilt his head up at her and she nods, thinking she wants to know more about him than the fact that he used to be a dick and he won the literature award his senior year of high school.

The next time she sees him, they’re at court.

It’s a sad day for them all and while Allie wants nothing more than for Campbell to be put away for life, she understands that the justice system doesn’t work in favour of women. She didn’t realize Harry would be testifying, but she supposes she should’ve remembered Elle telling her she went to Harry’s after the big blowout. His testimony is fairly similar to Allie’s, the two of them having witnessed his behaviour with Elle the few times it left their front door. Sam testifies too, although he’s a character witness and is supposed to speak on what it was like growing up with Campbell and if he believes he’s capable of abuse. The answer is yes.

As expected, Campbell gets a warning and a permanent restraining order. Elle doesn’t seem too upset about it, probably just pleased that she’ll never have to be in the same room as him again and while Allie wishes it were different, she’s ready to be done with the whole thing just as much as Elle is. She leans against the stone of the courthouse after it’s done, ready to call a lift and push all things Campbell out of her mind when Harry exits through the doors, hands in his pockets like he always used to do in high school. Cassandra used to joke about it, saying if she were to _accidentally_ trip him, he wouldn’t be able to save himself.

He tilts his head to the side when he notices her as if he’s surprised to see her there and walks over slowly, coming to a stop right beside her. “You waiting to get picked up?”

She sighs, dropping the hand that holds her phone and nods, looking up at him. “Yea, I’m about to call an Uber.”

“Do you want a ride?” She must display her confusion on her face because he lets out a breathy laugh, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards. “It’s a long drive and if I spend it alone, this terrible day is all I’m going to be thinking about.”

She’s glad someone else feels the same way. She smiles softly, standing up straight and he grins shyly (which is not something she ever thought Harry Bingham could do) and nudges her with his arm, leading the way to his car. It's the same nice black one he had in high school and Allie wonders how it’s lasted him all these years, but he opens the door for her like he’s trying to impress her and she thinks that if he is, chivalry isn’t the way to do it, though it seems _very_ Harry.

They’re silent for a while before he asks, somewhat awkwardly if Cassandra’s still on her mission trip. She appreciates the attempt at small talk even though they both know it’d be easier for them to sit in silence and occasionally hum along to the radio. She laughs, removing her gaze from the window. “Yeah, she won’t be back for another month. How’d you know where she was?”

“Grizz told me a while ago.” She wonders if he was asking in the first place.

“How did you two become friends?” She knows the answer but she’s got to keep the conversation going somehow and she doesn’t know as much about him as he seems to know about her.

He smiles as he explains and he actually sounds… nice. Like he cares about Grizz and their friendship and being involved in his life. Allie has to learn to stop being surprised when she learns things about Harry that make him seem more and more like a real person and less like the high school version she has in her head, when all the girls she knew thought he was hot and she thought his reputation automatically made him a dick that didn’t care about anyone’s feelings.

He mentions Eden and the conversation flows from there, Allie finding it easy to discuss the little quirks her baby cousin has inherited and the latest Peppa Pig obsession. Harry makes some joke in the accent that actually has Allie giggling and she thinks about that night in the hospital, when she’d wished she knew something real about him. His English accent isn’t half-bad and Allie asks him if he’d ever considered using it when he auditioned for their theatre productions back in high school and he acts surprised that she remembers that he was a theatre kid.

“I guess I just figured you were the type of person to forget everything once you moved on to uni.” He chuckles, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the Lady Gaga song playing faintly in the background. She smiled a little too widely when he turned it down, completely engrossed in their conversation.

“Mostly, but your acting was _unforgettable_.” She jokes, feeling the tiniest bit of satisfaction when he bites back a grin.

His shoulders shake as he laughs and his head is thrown back slightly as she just stares at him, trying to remember the way he looks in this moment. He’s always seemed so rough and unreachable, but right now he reminds her of a child in the best way possible, eager and confident but not in a snotty way. “Cassandra was always the better actor, you know that.”

She knits her eyebrows together, shaking her head. “No, she wasn’t. Cassandra could barely remember her lines let alone say them correctly. She may have beat you out for Student Body President but you’d win the lead role every single time.” She realizes a little too late that she might be letting on that she noticed him a lot more than she’d care to admit but he looks over at her and flashes his teeth, muttering a “Thank you.” so softly that she forgets about it. 

When they pull up to her apartment building, it’s raining heavily and she would’ve made a comment about shit weather to match a shit day, but he’s turned her sour mood around with one car ride and she thinks she did the same for him. She says her goodbyes and runs out of the car, turning around when she reaches the front door to see him laughing at her before shifting gears and driving off. He texts her the next night at nine pm.

_It’s Harry. I got your number from Grizz. Do you wanna go do something? It doesn’t have to be now but I wanna see you._

She can’t help the face-splitting smile that appears on her features, typing back almost immediately. Something about the way he words it makes her feel giddy inside, like they’re sixteen and seventeen and she’s got some childish crush on him and he’s just noticed her for the first time. _I wanna see you_ \- it says. Not ‘ _I need to get out of the house_ ’ or ‘ _I’m bored_ ’. She runs her tongue over her bottom lip as she thinks of a response, moving the open book off her lap and sitting up on her sofa.

_I’m down for now if you are._

She doesn’t actually think he’ll agree considering it’s late and they still barely know each other but he texts back seconds later, saying he’ll be there in fifteen minutes, which she spends pulling herself together and wondering whether or not this is a date. She decides in the end that it’s stupid to believe that because they’ve had one conversation despite knowing of each other for years and wouldn’t he have said something if it was? She dresses somewhere in the middle of a date and a hangout just in case and waits by the window to see him pull up. He’s just jogging up the front steps to her building when she pushes through the door, playing with the rings on her fingers. He smiles, as if he didn’t expect to see her which he very obviously did and he lets out a breath. “Hi.”

She matches his smile and takes a step closer to him. “Where to?”

He opens the passenger door for her again and she thinks that might just be something he does. He drives her to the beach and she spends the majority of the ride just looking at him, noticing how he drives with both hands at ten and two despite how she knows he used to race down the West Ham streets back in the day. She likes the way he looks from the side, with his face lit up from the headlights coming through the windows and she likes how he seems to belong in the night. She can’t imagine him as a daytime person. Their car-ride conversation gets dangerously close to first date kind of talk and it’s an absurd notion of the two of them going to some nice restaurant or movie theatre. This all feels a little too perfect. 

The beach is busier than she expected it to be this late at night and he explains to her, as they walk side by side, that there’s a fireworks show tonight across the other side of the water that people are coming here to watch. They walk close together towards the pier, arms bumping and he buys her a coke float that she insists they share as they sit together on one of the blankets he brought, the other draped across her shoulders. She doesn’t know what she expected from him, but she has heard from Elle that it’s hard to find a man in this day and age that will take you somewhere that makes you feel special on a first date.

He doesn’t seem anywhere near as nervous as she is as he alternates between sipping their float and using the spoon to eat the ice cream stuck on the bottom, listening intently as she recounts the three times total that she’s been to the beach. “Your childhood sounds fucking tragic, Allie.”

She giggles, leaning in closer to him. “It’s just the beach, Harry. My parents were always too worried about the heat getting to Cassandra and once my friends could drive, we just went to parties and stuff.”

He hums, getting a little vanilla on his bottom lip. “We used to vacation in the Hamptons every summer. I practically grew up on the beach.”

“Is that why you brought me here? Because you love it so much?” She realizes after she’s said it that it sounds like she’s insinuating he cares about her enough to share things he loves with her, but he doesn’t seem to notice, only snorts in laughter.

“I didn’t say that. I don’t trust people whose favourite place is the beach, it’s gross. Sand gets everywhere, it’s hot and sticky, there’s always a chance you’ll cut yourself on whatever’s buried beneath the sand… beaches are actually pretty terrible.”

She laughs so hard she almost spits out the sip she’d just taken, squinting up at him. “Wow. Taking me to a place you hate on our first date. Not what I expected.”

She realizes her mistake once he smirks at her. “Oh, you think this is a date?” It’s all she can do to roll her eyes and face ahead of her, not missing the way he goes soft out of the corner of her eye. He scooches closer, grabbing the blanket and situating it around the both of them, staring at her. “I’m kidding.” He whispers, and she knows he means it.

The fireworks go off mere seconds later, lighting up the sky in shades of pink and white and she thinks that this is straight out of a movie and if she were her seventeen year old self, the one who watched him grab the mic on graduation day when he wasn’t supposed to and make some joke that only the seniors knew about, she wouldn’t believe she were here. Harry had always seemed larger than life, even back then when all Cassandra would talk about is how he thought he was better than everyone else and he had everything handed to him. Now, he’s right beside her, gazing at the lights intensely, a faint smile tugging at his lips, and he’s so much more than she ever thought he was. He’s charming and sweet and funny and maybe Cassandra doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

They stay there for hours, mumbling answers to questions and making jokes about the people around them, their coke float pushed to the side, long forgotten. This is the closest she’s ever been to him, the two of them lying down side-by-side, wrapped up in a blanket. She can feel his breath on her cheek and she barely has to raise her voice in order for him to hear her. She can’t help but notice that when she’s talking, he’s _listening_. His head is propped up on his hand and he uses his free one to grab hers, connecting and disconnecting their fingers, playing around with them. 

When he kisses her, he does it softly, almost unsure. She thinks this is probably all too soon and he’s probably feeling the same, but she’s not gonna push him back and she doesn’t stop herself from kissing him after he pulls away. He lies down when it’s over, still clutching her hand tightly. He’s biting back a smile and _shy_ is a new look on Harry Bingham. He avoids her gaze, instead keeping his eyes trained on their fingers and whispers softly, “I’ve never done this before.” He laughs a little, as if it’s a ridiculous notion and she thinks it must be.

“Never kissed someone while holding hands?” She asks and he grins up at her as if she’s crazy, in a good way.

“No, I mean I’m not really the dating type. I don’t typically ask a girl out, take her to the beach and kiss her because I wanted to.” His hair blows in the wind as he says it and he moves to brush it away from his forehead and she wants to kiss him again, which is a wild feeling for her.

Instead, she smiles sitting up and crossing her legs, eyelashes fluttering as she gazes down at him. “Does that mean I’m special?” She asks, thinking he’ll brush it off.

Instead, he leans up, nose bumping into hers. “I think I’m gonna find out.”

As far as lines go, that was a good one.

\--

There’s a part of her that wishes he’d followed her inside when he took her home, but he kissed her sweetly and cupped her cheek while doing it and it’s insane how infatuated she is with him already. She leans against her open door and watches him get into his car, winking at her before he slides in and drives away. He texts her less than thirty minutes later when she’s lying in bed, continuing the novel she’d been reading earlier and chasing the feeling he gave her all night.

_is it way too soon to ask to see you again?_

She literally snorts out loud and sinks into her covers, smiling so wide her eyes start to close.

_tomorrow?_

He’s at her door at nine am which is the earliest she’s ever gotten up for anyone and her previous assumption that he couldn’t look any better than he did at night destroys itself when she slams the door behind her and almost stops in her tracks at the sight of him leaning against his car, hands in his pockets. She can barely look him in the eyes as she prances down her steps, too scared she’ll give away just how excited she is to see him, but he shifts at the last minute and stands right in front of her, and kisses her cheek as a hello. He opens the door for her and rounds the car to the other side before driving them to some café-bookstore in the middle of town. 

He asks her about graduation and Cassandra and the type of shit you’d ask a friend you were catching up with. She offhandedly invites him to the graduation party Becca’s hosting and he mentions that he was already going, but he’ll gladly go with her and then smirks at the way her cheeks heat up. It’s May now, and she personally thinks cafés are a fall/winter type thing and so she orders a milkshake and he asks for a lemonade which she thinks is gross.

“Do you hate the summertime or something?” He squints, leaning over the table a little. “First, the beach and now you hate lemonade?”

She’d never really thought about it before, but she does. She hates the heat, hates the lack of routine, hates mosquitos and it getting dark later. She hates seeing little kids playing outside all the time and getting their fingers covered in ice cream and popsicles. She also hated the endless amount of summers she had to spend with Cassandra, making sure she was never alone because her parents were still at work. She loved Cassandra more than the average sister loved hers, but by the time she reached seventeen, she really just wanted to go out and get drunk, and Cass was never down for that.

“Yeah, I do. Is that a dealbreaker?” She jokes, making sure the sip she takes from her shake makes a loud sound.

“I don’t think there’s much about you that could be a dealbreaker, Pressman.” She hates that he can just… _say_ things like that so confidently and unashamed. She ducks her head down, shaking it and he laughs at the smile on her face. 

She jumps back quickly, pushing her drink away from her and leaning back in her seat. “Even the fact that I’m Cassandra’s sister?”

“Cassandra’s always hated me more than I hated her.” He says and she thinks that’s true. “Besides, I’ve been putting up with her for years. She’s not gonna scare me away from you.”

“Good.” She mumbles, right before he takes her hand from across the table and makes her heart stop.

It’s not a long date, they both have to go to Will’s new apartment for a little housewarming thing and for some reason, it’s unspoken that neither of them want to show up together. Besides, date-Allie is different from family-hangout-Allie. He does make out with her a little in the car though, right before she goes inside her building. He tastes like lemonade, but she doesn’t mind it even a little bit.

She gets there before him and congratulates Will, even though she actually thinks his apartment isn’t that nice, and then Grizz is pulling her down onto the couch, clinking his drink with hers, speaking in hushed tones. He gets right to it, asking what Harry needed her number for and while she thinks it’s way too early and her friends are _way_ too nosy to know anything about the two of them yet, she’s dying to tell someone. Grizz, as always, is supportive and non-judgmental and promises not to tell anyone until she decides she wants to. He makes a comment at the end that stuns her; she didn’t expect it, especially not from Grizz.

“Harry’s come a long way from when I first met him. I just don’t wanna see him fall backwards.” Allie thinks she might be a little bit sexist for thinking it’s usually the guy that has to be told not to break the girl’s heart, but it twists her insides unpleasantly and she doesn’t want to think about what type of place he must have been in if Grizz is telling her he’s fragile. 

When Harry does arrive, he struts in wearing a white button-up and dark jeans and after they’ve been there for a while, he comes up behind her subtly, whispers “Do you wanna get out of here?” in her ear, and she thinks he’s like, the personification of _Style_ by Taylor Swift. They slip out unnoticed (not including Grizz, who sends them an eye roll as Harry brings a finger up to his lips to silence him) and he holds her hand, swinging it between them as they walk to his car. When she’s situated in the passenger seat, she pulls out the beer she stole and hid under her coat and he shakes his head, laughing.

“Want some?” She mumbles. So, she’s a little buzzed, but she trusts him. Which is a little crazy but she can’t help it.

“No, thanks. I don’t drink.” If Grizz hadn’t just been as weird as he was, she probably wouldn’t have been able to put two and two together.

“Sorry. I won’t drink it.”

He laughs, throwing his head back in the way she really really likes and he rolls down the window a little bit. “I’m the one who’s sober, Allie. You can do what you want.”

She still feels a little guilty, so she says she’ll open it back at his place and earns a smirk from him, his eyes glinting. “Wow, you already want me to take you home? Could’ve just said so, Pressman.”

She lets out a giggle at the comment and hits him lightly on the shoulder, curling up in her seat. “I do want you to take me home but first, I think we should get a McFlurry.”

He spares her a glance she can’t decipher but she thinks he likes the suggestion, because he takes the wrong turn for his apartment. The sun’s still setting at six/seven, summer not in full swing yet and he looks unbelievably pretty surrounded by pink and white. She smiles, saying his name once and he gazes at her softly as an answer.

“Are you a morning or night person?” His eyebrows knit together and he snorts abruptly, running a hand through his hair.

“Uh, morning.”

“No, you’re not.”

He laughs out loud just as they turn into the drive-thru. “What do you mean, _no I’m not_?”

“You’re prettier at night.” She doesn’t know why she’s saying this but he smirks at her as if this isn’t the first time he’s been called pretty and she thinks he knows it, too.

He orders two McFlurries and then rolls the window back up which she’s grateful for - spiders always hangout at drive-thrus. “Well, I’m happier in the morning.”

She’s surprised by that, but she can’t explain why. She practically climbs over him to take her M&M McFlurry because they took way too long and there’s a spoonful in her mouth before he even moves the car and he shakes his head at her. “You’re gonna get a brain-freeze if you keep eating that fast.”

Allie snorts accidentally and uses the back of her hand to wipe her lips. “I’ve never had a brain-freeze before.”

This is possibly the third time today that he’s looked at her like she’s the craziest girl he’s ever met and he just stares at her once they reach a red light. “Never? Not even once?” When she shakes her head _no_ , he just scoffs as if it’s unbelievable and takes the first spoonful of his own ice cream. When he pulls into the driveway of a modest-sized house in a gated area, she almost trips out of the car and threatens to throw her purse at him for laughing at it, but he takes her hand when leading her up the steps and makes up for it. She finds it weirdly attractive that he owns his own house and wants to kiss him for it, but she doesn’t because she’d rather he not think she’s just wanted to get in his pants all night.

He holds her steady as she takes her shoes off and she really shouldn’t be feeling so high when she had maybe one glass of wine but he doesn’t seem to mind at all, just hangs her coat and purse up for her on the hook by his door and waits for her to follow him into the house. He plops down on his sofa and tries to catch up to her ice cream wise while she walks around slowly, trying her best not to stare at how good he looks, sprawled out in that unbuttoned dress shirt. She notices immediately that he has real, actual picture frames everywhere - some childhood ones with who she thinks is his family (though she never really knew them back then) and some with Grizz and Becca and Elle. He’s probably the only Gen Z guy she’s met that has picture frames set up instead of a couple polaroids taped to the wall or stuck to the fridge with a magnet. She likes it.

When she moves further into the living room, she falls down beside him, probably a little too close but he doesn’t say anything, just eats his ice cream in silence. They sit there for a while until her eyes land on a red Mario Kart case and she jumps up in excitement, challenging him to a race. He says he only ever plays it when his little sister comes to visit and so she’ll probably win, and she’s surprised he’s not acting just as competitive as she’s about to be. That is, until they actually start playing and the filthiest swear words slip off his tongue when she pushes him off the ledge. When it reaches two am and they realize they’ve been playing for hours, he puts on Brooklyn Nine-Nine without asking her and she literally doesn’t think he could get any sexier, but she kisses him instead of saying that and he smiles into it. He’s going so slow it’s pissing her off but she doesn’t just want to assume he wants to fuck her so she just sort of makes out with him lazily until it ends and they lie on the couch, chuckling sleepily at the jokes on the TV until she hasn’t even realized she’s about to fall asleep.

When she wakes up in the morning, her back hurts and her breath stinks and she’s got weird lines on her stomach from where her fancy jeans dug into her but he’s literally making them _breakfast_ and she’s trying so hard to pretend that she doesn’t like him as much as he does because that’s crazy right? He tells her there’s an extra toothbrush in his upstairs bathroom and she doesn’t really want to brush her teeth before eating but she also doesn’t want to risk him kissing her and totally hating it so she smiles sleepily and trots up the stairs. Once the bathroom door is closed behind her, a grin breaks out and she feels like texting Cassandra everything but then remembers that while Allie normally tells Cass everything about her relationships/hookups, she probably doesn’t want to hear about her sister staying over at Harry Bingham’s in the slightest. 

She doesn’t want to stay in his bathroom for too long but she does need a minute to just get herself together and she genuinely contemplates calling Grizz about the whole thing, but she really just wants to get back downstairs and eat whatever food Harry’s making and kiss him until her lips are swollen. He smiles at her softly when she comes downstairs, as if he likes seeing her in his house and she walks over to him shyly, sitting at the island counter and watching him cook. He asks her how she slept and a part of her wants to make some joke about wishing she’d slept with _him_ but she’s also so touched that he actually asked her if she had a good sleep that she thinks how they spent last night might have been better than if they’d fucked.

He makes her english muffins which just feels like something he would like and they’re actually really good. They sit and eat together and just talk like they did at the café and when they’re done, he kisses her sweetly and she helps load the dishwasher. She doesn’t stay for long after that because she promised Becca and Elle they’d go shopping but throughout the entirety of their trip, she’s thinking about Harry and dying to talk about him, but she doesn’t.

They text almost everyday for the next three weeks and see each other four times and she hates how comfortable and easy things have been. She feels like it should be awkward or weird or there should be some sort of debacle about miscommunication because that’s how it always is but Harry’s just relaxed and honest and tells her when she looks hot and when he misses her and when he wants to see her and it’s _nice_. Some new guy at work asks for her number and while she’d normally say no, she wants to keep her options open so she doesn’t get too wrapped up in Harry and she starts texting the guy. He’s funny and he doesn’t send her any unsolicited pictures which is more than what she expected but every time she’s talking to him, she’s thinking about Harry. He flirts with her at work relentlessly and he asks her on a date at the end of the week and it’s only then that she realizes she’s being stupid and she shouldn’t be playing into the tropes of modern dating just because she doesn’t wanna move too fast with a guy she really likes and so she tells him she’s not interested and he actually backs off, which she didn’t expect from a guy called Noah. She asks Harry out on a date for the Friday, tells him he can pick the place and he takes her to a small parking lot on a cliff that overlooks the city and they eat takeout before making out in the backseat of his car like they’re fucking teenagers. He calls her ‘baby’ for the first time when he’s kissing behind her ear, his hands sliding up her shirt and she knows if they don’t stop now, they’ll have sex for the first time in the backseat of his car and she’d much rather be in his bed, so she tells him to take her home and places a lingering kiss on his lips, grazing his bottom one with her teeth. 

They have sex twice and then once again in the morning and when they’re coming down off their high, arms entangled, faces smushed into his way-too-expensive pillows, he whispers, “I don’t wanna see anyone else but you.” and she decides she doesn’t either. He kisses her until she can’t breathe after that and he lets her pick the playlist while he makes breakfast, letting her wrap her arms around his waist, watching him.

She tells Becca first because she knows the girl can’t keep her mouth shut and that’ll save Allie the trouble of telling everyone herself and she gets a weird congratulations from her, but it’s fine. She also gets teased relentlessly when Becca sees a text from Harry on Allie’s phone, talking about how his work day would be much more fun if she were there and Becca makes some premature comments about love that makes Allie’s stomach churn, but she tells him she misses him and he tells her about how the coworker he hates fucked up a case and the boss is pissed and she knows that’s selfishly making him smile.

She gets lunch with Will one day like they used to do all the time and he asks her, “So you and Harry are a thing now?” and she doesn’t really know what to say, so she just responds with, “We are.” and he nods like he was asking more for her than for him anyways. They show up to Grizz’s birthday together and he holds her hand on the way in, knowing full-well that they’re going to get comments about it but she can’t bring herself to care, and doesn’t think he does either. She gets a call from Cassandra halfway through the night and goes to the bathroom to get it, sighing heavily when she realizes she saw her and Harry in the back of someone’s story looking cozy and is pissed as hell that that’s how she found out her sister has a boyfriend. She doesn’t really know how to justify it or even explain why she didn’t tell her in the first place but Cassandra seems to infer anyways.

“God, Allie! I don’t care if you’re dating someone I hated in high school, I care that I found out from Gordie’s instagram! I’m your sister and I didn’t even know you had a boyfriend. Did you really think I’d be pissed at you for who you’re deciding to spend your time with?” Cassandra’s right and it only makes Allie feel guilty. She hates that she’s in the bathroom getting emotional over a fight with her sister on Grizz’s birthday of all days and does her best not to cry, though Cassandra hears it in her voice and accepts her apology pretty quickly. She spends a few minutes cleaning herself up and when she exits, no one notices anything was wrong. Harry’s sitting on an armchair that they can’t both fit on and so she walks over and lets him pull her into his lap, taking his water out of his hand and having a sip. 

Grizz mentions something offhandedly about needing a vacation and a very drunk Becca starts planning a road trip, though Allie doubts anything will actually come to fruition. Harry takes her home, buying her a milkshake on the way and lets her curl into him while they watch a new netflix film about a teenage apocalypse that feels way too real for Allie to actually pay attention to. He starts visiting her at work, though it gets her in trouble with her boss and Noah just shakes his head, as if finally understanding what their brief texting relationship was all about. He’s not a dick about it though, which she appreciates.

When Cassandra comes back from her mission trip, it’s the longest Allie’s gone without seeing Harry and the most amount of time she’s slept in her own apartment in a while, but she doesn’t tell her sister that because she wants to spend time with her and doesn’t want her to think that Harry’s suddenly more important or that he’s got her wrapped around his finger. (He kind of does, but Allie’s certain it goes both ways.) They’re lying in Allie’s bed when Cassandra mentions that she wants to see him. Allie’s surprised, to say the least.

“Allie, I can tell you’re dying to talk about him and Gordie’s told me you guys are good together. I’m your sister, I should get to know your boyfriend _as_ your boyfriend, not as Harry Bingham.” She feels a swell of adoration for her sister in that moment and pulls her in for a cuddle, texting Harry moments later and asking if he’s down for lunch with her and Cass. _I’ll take any chance to see you I can get._ \- he says. She loves that he texts in complete sentences.

They go to a cute lunch place not far from where Gordie stays that actually does great sandwiches and Harry hugs Cassandra when he sees her, making Allie bite back a grin. Cassandra doesn’t even look appalled by it; she just smiles and hugs him back, sitting down on the other side of the table. Harry kisses her just by her eye as she leans into him, and she thinks he can tell that she likes the domesticity of it. Cassandra asks him about his internship at the law firm and Harry says something about thinking Cass had a mind for politics back in high school that actually makes Cassandra smile and Allie’s thinking she could get used to this. Cassandra asks if they’re going to Becca’s grad party, reminding Allie that she still hasn’t asked him to go as her date to her actual grad ceremony. When Cassandra leaves the table to answer a call from Gordie, Allie tugs on his shirt. “So, my graduation ceremony is next week, the day before Becca’s party. Do you wanna be my date?”

He gets a little glint in his eye that she wants to keep there forever and mumbles an, “I’d love to.” into her lips, smiling when they pull away. “Have I told you how hot you look today?” He whispers and she kisses him again, her mind stuck on getting him back to his place and taking off his shirt that she’s sure is real silk.

He shows up to her grad in a suit that costs more than the dress she’s wearing and she likes that her college friends all think she’s shacked up with a super hot rich guy who literally _tastes_ expensive. He brings her a sunflower bouquet and whispers in her ear that they remind him of her and then kisses her soundly in front of her freshman year roommate who literally has to cover her hand over her mouth to keep from cooing at them. He sits next to Cassandra for the ceremony and she can see them from her seat, actually conversing with each other as if they’re old friends, and he picks one of the flowers from the bouquet and gives it to her and then picks another one to give to Gordie. Allie feels stupid for getting so emotional over something so small, but she’s worked so hard for four years and damn her if she thinks it’s sweet that her boyfriend makes an effort with her family. She told her parents not to make the long trip, saying she’d call them afterwards and then they could celebrate the next time she visits, but she did really want them there so she thought it’d be hard. It’s not. Nothing where Harry’s involved has ever been hard and she’s not sure if that should worry her or not.

All three of them stand up clapping when she walks across the stage and she quite literally runs into their arms when it’s over, Cassandra kissing her cheeks and Gordie actually _giggling_ happily. Harry kisses her straight on the mouth and then clasps their hands together as she makes her rounds, saying goodbye to the people she got to know during the four years she spent here. Her roommate snags her only to ask how Harry is in bed and four years ago, she would have been uncomfortable with such a question but now, she just says calmly, “I see God.” and that’s enough to get Lex to scream. Harry looks over from his spot next to Gordie with his brows furrowed and she just winks at him, pulling Lex in for one last hug before she locks her arms around his neck, whispering, “Take me home.”

Becca facetimes her when they’re brushing their teeth and Harry snorts, muttering something about _just like clockwork_ that makes her laugh. “You’re a graduated woman, Allie Pressman. What are you gonna do now?” Becca squeals.

“Work until I die.” She responds, which earns her a satisfying laugh from Harry and she leans up to kiss his neck once, just as he’s about to spit out his toothpaste. Becca says something about a big announcement at the party tomorrow and lets them chat to Eden for a bit before she hangs up and Allie’s forehead is leaning against his and he’s looking at her like he can’t believe he’s found her. She thinks she loves him, but she can’t say that yet. It’s only been three months and summer’s halfway over and she read somewhere that you can’t know you love someone until you’ve seen them through the seasons. But she thinks she does, so she just holds onto that as he presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth and snuggles into her, not even bothering to watch the wildlife documentary she puts on. 

Becca’s party is the most formal event they’ve had since Sam and Grizz’s wedding and the second Allie tries on her red dress, Harry’s slipping it off and effectively ruining her hair. (She doesn’t care though; they can be late.) He zips it back up slowly once they’re done and doesn’t stop himself from placing a kiss on the back of her neck, pulling her close. She thinks he secretly likes how _complete_ they feel; like he’s been waiting forever for someone who just _gets_ him and moves around him like they’ve done it forever. She likes it, too.

He sticks by her all night, aside from offering congratulations to the other graduates (who are just Will and Sam - everyone else is gonna be in school for a while longer, except for Becca, who never went) and she likes that she’s allowed to just hold his hand whenever she wants, or press a kiss to his cheek and she likes how when he’s sitting on the couch and she enters the living room, whoever’s sitting beside him makes room for her in between them like she belongs there. It’s late as hell and she’s entirely sober when she asks Will if he can tattoo her. She’s always wanted one but she never knew what to get and now she figures, it’s her freaking graduation party and these are the people she loves and she wants something permanent to commemorate the night, not just the pictures on her phone. (Though she did get some good ones of her and Harry and she knows for a fact that he’s been sneaking candids of her all night.)

As soon as she says it, Becca and Elle have jumped on the bandwagon and Helena’s already out of her seat, declaring that if they don’t do it now, she never will. Harry takes her hand and swings it between them on the walk to the subway, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it, then chuckling at the dangerous look she gives him. He is absolutely _not_ allowed to do things that make her swoon in public. She looks around at her friends, all squeezing into one almost empty subway car because it’s nighttime in July and way too fucking hot to be taking the subway, and her eyes catch Cassandra’s, who’s leaning into Gordie and looking at her like she’s _proud_ or something, which Allie doesn’t totally get but she blows her sister a kiss because she seems happy and Allie’s glad she’s finally home for good.

Will brings them up to the roof of the tattoo shop he works at and reappears moments later with some equipment, just as they all realize they didn’t discuss what to get. Allie knows what she wants, though. She twists around in Harry’s arms, cupping his cheeks. “Do you think it’s too soon if we get matching tattoos?”

He hums lowly, looking at her like he’s surprised by his own answer. “Honestly, no.” She likes that he didn’t say something stupid like ‘probably’. She likes that he’s just as certain about them as she is. “What are we getting?” He says, and she thinks he’d get whatever she told him to.

“A smiley face.” She grins, making him laugh out loud, pressing a quick kiss to her lips and she can’t believe he’s real and here and _hers_ . She brings her hand up and points to the top of her knuckle and he nods, completely down. A half hour later, he’s holding her hand as she walks across one of the benches, waiting for Will to finish up Sam’s and Elle yells that they look straight out of a movie. Allie smiles at her, jumping down and pulling Harry into a hug because this _does_ feel like a fucking movie. One she never wants to end.

Becca takes Allie’s previous place on the bench and whistles loudly to get everyone’s attention, stating that the announcement is that her and Sam found an incredible cabin for the road trip and Becca’s parents said they’d watch Eden for a few days and they have to leave at the end of August. Allie’s thinking that the road trip plan was more of a drunken dream and when Cassandra voices those exact thoughts, Becca says something like, “Don’t act like we don’t need this vacation.” Harry squeezes her hip subconsciously as he yells, “I’m down.” and she nods in agreement, leaning her face against his shoulder.

When they get back to his place, Harry notices a missed call from his sister and leaves the bedroom for a half hour while Allie desperately tries not to fall asleep without him. When he returns, he seems like the call put him in a bad mood, but when she sits up and asks if he’s okay, he just nods unconvincingly, “Yeah, I’m good.” and lies down next to her, not even kissing her goodnight. She shouldn’t spend the three hours after he falls asleep thinking about it, but she does. Not only that, but even when she falls asleep, it doesn’t last long and for the first time ever, she’s awake before him. She checks the time on his phone because she realizes he forgot to plug it in before bed and notices a picture of her as his lockscreen, clearly taken last night. Will was doing her tattoo and she made the silliest face at Harry just as the light went off and she was so sure it’d look terrible, but she actually looks _happy_.

She knows it’ll be hours before Harry wakes up and so she just sits on his sofa with a coffee, half-watching the news, half-scrolling through twitter. She hears his laugh before she sees him and he walks up to her from behind, running a hand through her hair and kissing her cheek, clearly his previous night’s mood gone. “Since when are you up before me?”

“Couldn’t sleep.” She offers as a response, staring straight ahead. She’s not being pissy with him, but she can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong and as much as she hates it, it’s making her feel insecure and closed off. He kisses her cheek again, humming into it and asks, “You okay?” and she tilts her head up to look at him, planting a smile on her face and nodding. He seems satisfied with her response and walks towards the kitchen, asking her what she wants for breakfast. He asks her if she’s okay again later in the afternoon and she knows he’s picked up on her behaviour, but she doesn’t want to seem like some type of suspicious girlfriend because she’s not. She doesn’t think he’s cheating or even doing anything wrong, she’s just got a feeling that something’s up with him and he’s now picked up on that feeling so they’ve both got bad feelings and neither one is talking about it. 

She goes out to dinner with Helena, Luke and Will and actually has a good time, able to put her worry aside to enjoy a nice dinner with her friends, though by the time the night’s done, the thought of going back to Harry’s makes her anxiety spike and for the first time in a while, she texts him that she’s tired as hell and is just gonna sleep at her place. He offers to pick her up but she declines and then he texts her some cutesy shit about missing her that makes her smile and she gets pissed at herself for being nervous about going to her boyfriend’s house, but she can’t exactly help it. When she pours herself some wine (because that’s literally all she has in her fridge since she hasn’t been here in forever) and collapses on her sofa, he texts her a picture of him lying in bed, with one hand where she should be and the biggest pout on his face. She should find it cute, but instead it makes her stomach churn, so she likes the image and puts her phone on ‘do not disturb’. She calls Cassandra, who tells her to trust her gut that something’s wrong and then calls Becca, who tells her she’s overreacting and by the end of it all, she just wants to turn her brain off and sleep for three days. 

She wakes up at two pm the next day to three missed calls and ten texts from her boyfriend and she feels like absolute shit, but she didn’t _mean_ to ignore him. She was sleeping. The latest one reads: _this isn’t like you… please tell me you didn’t get hit by a car. omg that’s gonna bite me in the ass if that’s what actually happened. it didn’t tho, i know it didn’t. tell me you’re okay._

Even though she slept through all of that, she somehow just knows that he’s gonna be pissed _and_ he’s probably been thinking this entire time that _she’s_ pissed and as much as she doesn’t want to deal with that, she’s not an asshole, so she tells him she’s fine, just slept too much and that she’ll be over to kiss him later. (That one was to soften the blow. She knows he’ll like it, even if he’s mad at her.)

When she lets herself in his front door, he’s sitting on the couch, staring at his phone. He glances up at her once, mutters “Hey.” in a tone she doesn’t like, and she huffs, setting her purse down on the counter. He eyes it for a second until she picks it up and hangs it on the hook. (She knows he hates that, but it's a habit okay? She wasn’t trying to piss him off _more_.) “Okay, so you’re mad.” She says, hesitantly.

“Worried, actually.” He replies, although his tone says otherwise. “You told me you were fine yesterday but clearly, you weren’t.”

“I _was_ fine.” So what if she’s lying? She’s not gonna tell him she was fending off a panic attack for half the day and needed to be alone because then he’s just gonna treat her differently and she’s gonna slip up and say something about the phone call he took and that won’t end well for anyone. “I just slept all day, I don’t understand what the issue is. I would’ve answered if I was awake.”

“It’s not about you not answering, Allie.” His phone is on the coffee table now and he’s looking right up at her as she shifts on her feet under his gaze. “You were weird all day yesterday, don’t say you weren’t. And then, all of a sudden, you don’t wanna sleep here?”

She really doesn’t want to have to explain her reasoning to him. “I don’t live here.”

“You might as well.” He says, without missing a beat. That’s true. She pretty much hasn’t left since the few days she spent with Cassandra when she first got back.

She sighs, reaching down to pull off her shoes. “I’m sorry, okay? I just had an off-day. They happen. I didn’t think it’d piss you off.”

He shakes his head as if annoyed and then runs a hand over his face. “Look, I have to go see my mom and sister tomorrow. I really don’t wanna leave while we’re fighting.”

She shrugs, trying to act as if it doesn’t matter to her. Was that what the phone call was about? “Well, then don’t fight with me. You’re the one that’s pissed.”

He sighs, looking down at his shoes before humming as if she’s right. She leans against the kitchen counter, suddenly sad this happened in the first place. She’s tried her best over the years to not be hard on herself because of her anxiety, but it’s not always easy. She just wishes she didn’t get so shut off at the randomest times, especially when things are actually going well for her. He looks up at her for a second before getting off the couch and walking over, stopping right in front of her, his hands coming up to cup her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I just-” He’s looking at her softly and she’s like ninety percent sure he’s going to tell her he loves her, but instead he says, “We’re good together, you know?”

She wonders why he didn’t say it, because to be totally frank, that was the most perfect moment they were gonna get. She nods though, says “I know.” and kisses him, smiling when he pulls away just to place one on her forehead.

He leaves for three days. A part of her wonders why he didn’t think to ask her to come with him and then she scolds herself because she knows nothing about his family and he could just hate going home. She has his Spotify up on the laptop to see which songs he’s listening to on the way there because she misses him already and she’s proud to see him put on a song she introduced him to. He sends her pictures of his little sister and the dog she begged his mom for and Allie realizes that she can’t just sit around at his place, waiting for him to come home. She tries to prove to herself that she has a life outside of Harry and doesn’t need him here to be happy by going out with Sam and Grizz and babysitting Eden and she even calls up Lex for a lunch date, but Lex just asks her about Harry and then she’s missing him all over again. He calls her on the second night and she can tell there’s something up with him, his tone similar to the one he used when his sister called and when she calls him on it, he just says, “I don’t get along with my mom. I’m only here for Rosie. Trust me, I’d give anything to be home with you right now.”

A part of her is sad he doesn’t have a good relationship with his mother but she also can’t deny how good it makes her feel when he refers to home as her at his house, so she tells him she misses him and that one day, she’ll bring him home to meet her parents and they’ll like him better than her. “I’ll take you up on that.” He says, and then asks her if Becca’s given her any more info on the cabin and asks what she dreamt about last night and what she ate for dinner. It makes her stomach flutter in the way only _he’s_ ever been good at and she decides that she doesn’t need to prove to anyone that she has a life outside of her boyfriend. Her life _with_ him is pretty good.

When he comes back, he wakes her up with some kisses, practically screaming that he missed her and she wants to tell him she loves him so so bad, but she knows he’s holding back. They spend the next few weeks mostly inside because it’s way too hot to do anything else and he finally, after almost four months, beats her at Mario Kart. When they’re packing for the cabin, he complains about how terrible she is at it and she just ends up eating ice cream and watching him do it for her. He licks vanilla off the side of her lip and they don’t get much done after that. 

He drives the two of them up to the cabin himself so they don’t all have to squeeze into two cars and his hand catches hers the entire time, even after she pulls it away to adjust the volume. She takes a picture of him driving that she really likes, which beats out the one of her kissing his cheek that’s currently set as her lockscreen and he giggles at the sight of her changing it, kissing the back of her hand. When they arrive, after a six hour drive that was actually a hell of a lot of fun, they’re the last ones there, so their room is already picked. They look around the cabin for a while and join in when Becca pulls out Go Fish, Allie sipping some wine with her feet in his lap until Cassandra gives her a look, pulling her off to the side.

When they’re out of earshot, Allie can barely get a word out before Cassandra’s whispering, “I think Gordie’s gonna propose.” 

Truthfully, Allie doesn’t know what to say other than, “It’s about time.” She’s expected this much for a while now, but actually knowing he’s gonna do it soon instead of knowing he’ll do it eventually are two different things. Her sister seems… genuinely happy about it. Not that she wouldn’t but marriage has always been a far off concept to Allie and now that it’s her sister… that’s a lot for her tiny West Ham brain to process. 

When she returns to Harry’s lap, he raises an eyebrow at her as if to ask if something’s up and she just kisses him on the cheek, looking at his cards and telling him what to ask. On the fourth night at the cabin, he tackles her into the water so hard she hits her elbow, but she’s too busy laughing to even feel the pain. She kisses him and he almost drowns trying to hold the both of them up until Elle and Helena are splashing the two of them, Luke dunking Harry under, Sam and Kelly waving from their spot on the deck, busy playing dominos. When they’re all sitting in deck chairs by the fire on the beach, Allie glances at Cassandra and Gordie, curled up together in a similar way to her and Harry, both completely entranced by one another. She smiles to herself and gets up to grab another drink, letting Harry and Luke arm wrestle. “You’re leaving me when I need your support the most?” Harry jokes with her, scoffing when she says her money’s on Luke.

He finds her later on the back deck, blanket around her shoulders, staring at the waves. He sits down behind her so that she’s in between his legs and rests his chin on her shoulder. “Hey there, gorgeous. What are you thinking about?”

She smiles, leaning back into him, shivering slightly when she feels his breath on her neck. When she doesn’t answer, he hums into her skin. She lets out a breath and snuggles in closer. “I could get used to this.”

She can feel his frown against her cheek. “The beach?” He asks, giggling along with her. He knows damn well she’ll never get used to the beach.

“No, I meant… this feeling. Being this happy.” He grins against her and presses a delicate kiss behind her ear, like he’s genuinely happy that she’s happy and she thinks, _fuck it_. She turns her head to the side, pressing her forehead against his and says, “I love you.”

His smile doesn’t falter, even for a second and he whispers back, “I love you.” as if that isn’t the first time they’ve ever said those words to one another. He kisses her slowly but it’s short lived because of the smile that spreads across her cheeks. He chuckles, telling her to wait and disappears into the cabin, returning a minute later with a wrapped gift. “I’ve got something for you.” He says, placing it in her hands and sitting back down in the same position. “I was gonna give it to you when we got back but I don’t feel like waiting anymore.”

She smiles up at him before ripping the paper off to reveal a framed photo, taken the night of the graduation party. He’s holding her hand, twirling her while she stands on the bench up on the roof, the photo clearly taken without their knowledge. She doesn’t really know what to say and she doesn’t want to be ridiculously sappy and start crying, even though she’s starting to realize it’s impossible not to be emotional about this man, so she just asks, “Where are you gonna put it?”

He grins, mumbling, “You choose.” in the cutest little voice before telling her to turn it around. On the back is taped a key, presumably one to his home. “What do you say, Allie? Wanna stop paying rent on an apartment you don’t live in?”

She grins all giddy and licks her lips. “I thought you’d never ask.” He kisses her then, sweet and solid and she thinks about how different things were all those months ago, how she wished she could know one real thing about him. When he pulls away, she looks at him darkly. “We should go inside.” She says.

He just laughs, getting up and reaching a hand down to help her up, looking so so pretty and perfect and god, she loves him. He belongs in the night, that much is true, but he’s not so bad in the morning either, or the afternoon, or anytime really. As he’s leading her inside, she catches her sister’s eye, her head leaning against Gordie’s shoulder. Cassandra rolls her eyes, mouths ‘Harry _fucking_ Bingham’ and Allie grins. Yeah, she’s in love with Harry _fucking_ Bingham. And maybe they’ve only been together a few months and maybe they’ve still got a lot they don’t know about each other and hurdles to jump and things to get through, but he loves her.

And now he’s gonna have a framed fucking photo of her in their house and he’s gonna meet her parents and people are gonna see his lockscreen and ask who’s in it and he’s gonna say, ‘That’s my girlfriend, Allie Pressman. I’m in love with her.” or something of the sort and she just _knows_ he’s gonna be her date to her sister’s wedding and that’s just it. That’s just how it is. That’s how fast it happens.

  
As she’s sitting there, in the hard hospital chair, on the day of Grizz’s accident with Harry _fucking_ Bingham sitting across from her with Kelly’s head on his shoulder, she thinks she wants to know him.

**Author's Note:**

> title from "Young & Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey
> 
> leave a comment if you liked it!


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